KAPALUA (Hawaii) – Rory McIlroy starts the year with a bogey.
It’s hard to do this when the World No. The World No. 1 isn’t even playing. How is it possible that the man who initiated the movement for the top golfers on the PGA Tour play against each in a series if elevated events skips the first one? McIlroy decided to withdraw from this week’s Sentry Tournament of Champions at Kapalua Resort’s Plantation Course. He did not give any explanation. (A manager did not respond to McIlroy’s email.
The field is still strong with 17 of top 20 players in the world. But McIlroy is the one who suggested that the top players commit to playing more often against each others. McIlroy would know that participation is mandatory. Each of the other eligible players for the field of 39 will have to show up. They will be rewarded with the chance to win the $2.7 million check. This is nearly twice the amount that was awarded last year. Jay Monahan, the Tour Commissioner, is contemplating whether this is real.
Cameron Smith, the defending champion of the T of C, has left for better pastures with LIV Golf. McIlroy is a member the PGA Tour’s Policy Board. He along with Tiger Woods rallied top players to agree to play in 13 higher events with jacked up purses. Sentry, the title sponsor, increased the stakes by extending its contracts through 2035 and increasing the purse from $8.2million to $15 million starting this year. It is not happy that it does not have a FedEx Cup champion and a three-time winner.
Players can skip any of the higher events while still being eligible for all of their Player Impact Program bonus money. McIlroy’s decision not to participate in the TOC could be argued that Tour’s elite are still independent contractors, unlike LIV players who are legally bound to attend all 14 events.
You must be there to support the new effort if you are the leader who has made it his mission against Greg Norman and LIV Golf. Is it unreasonable to expect McIlroy to play in all the high-profile events in 2023, given his outspoken nature? This new tiered system is a real punch in the gut. McIlroy’s recent downtime has made it difficult for the optics to be good. His last appearance was at DP World Tour Championship on Nov. 20. It’s a Ryder Cup season, so McIlroy will have to play a few more DP World Tour events, such as a scheduled appearance in Dubai at end of the month. But there is no excuse. Will Zalatoris was present in Delaware as a member the Tour’s Player Advisory Council and said that only a health issue would prevent him from attending an elevated event.
He said, “Why would you turn down any of nine events where we play for $20 million against some of the best players in world golf?” “You know what, I wouldn’t be playing golf at home if I had to, so it makes sense that I play against the best players in the game.”
McIlroy’s decision was not unexpected. McIlroy admitted that he was unsure about playing at Kapalua. He’s only played there once in his entire career. He finished fourth in 2019 at the CJ Cup. It is a sign of a diminished event when the top players in the world, whether Phil or Tiger, have not participated in this limited-field, no-cut event. These guys are clearly overpaid if they don’t get a minimum $200,000 paycheck and a week of luxurious living in Maui.
McIlroy is not a pro you would think to lack self-awareness. But this time, he did. While it won’t affect his Masters prep, at a time where the Tour is trying hard to stop an upstart competitor, you want your defacto leader to be all-in. McIlroy’s absence from the Tour this week raises questions about whether its elevated events will remain or become a rebranded version.
